Over the last two weeks, the Trump administration has detained green card holders and permanent residents and deported undocumented individuals to foreign prisons without the due process guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. The administration has also threatened to withhold appropriated funding from universities and other institutions that do not relinquish academic freedom and comply with the administration’s directives.
Below is a statement by Gretchen Goldman, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists:
“The past week has marked a new and darker turn in the Trump administration’s unconstitutional power grab on two fronts. In a chilling move, the administration targeted green card holders, permanent residents, and valid visa holders for constitutionally-protected free speech or legal assembly that the administration disagrees with. These individuals have been intimidated, jailed, and in some cases, deported without due process. Our Constitution requires due process for all people. Nonetheless, the Trump administration is targeting vulnerable people who have fewer resources to fight for their rights. The egregious deportation of immigrants without criminal records to a foreign prison should alarm all law-abiding people.
“When constitutional protections and the rule of law break down, so goes democracy and our ability to build a healthier, safer and more just future for ourselves and our families. We cannot expect science and civil debate to underpin our government when Congress abdicates its power, the judiciary is ignored, and individuals and institutions are targeted and punished for their values and beliefs.
“Social science research finds that interrupting authoritarian behavior by government officials is essential to protect democracy. It finds that basic freedoms are easier to maintain than to recover once they’re lost. Interrupting behavior means speaking out loudly and repeatedly when we see these illegal and unconstitutional violations. We will not blunt the theft of our rights and freedom by remaining silent.
“This is not just my opinion. In March of 2025, an international monitor on the status of worldwide democracies warned the US was quickly sliding toward an electoral autocracy, in which there are ‘insufficient levels of fundamental requisites such as freedom of expression and association, and free and fair elections.’
“At UCS, we believe that science-based decisionmaking is essential and a nonpolitical, nonpartisan approach to creating a healthier and safer world. But this approach has little meaning in a country if the rule of law is not observed, and one cannot share scientific findings and their implications for public wellbeing without fear of reprisal. It is essential that members of civil society stand together at this moment to preserve the basic rights granted to all U.S. citizens as well as people residing within our country including free speech, free assembly and due process. Our freedom and rights are on the line.”